Temporary support device for a cement embedded anchor bolt

ABSTRACT

A device to temporarily support an anchor bolt in wet cement while the cement hardens is provided with particular adaptation for use in relation to handrail bolts on precast cement stair steps. A movable notched bar is mounted to the step forming mold portion of a stair step mold structure so as to be movable to and away from justaposition with a wet cement step surface and when in juxtaposition therewith, the anchor bolts placed in the cement are embraced and supported by the notch portions of the support while the cement hardens.

EJ rte States atent 1 1 1 1 ,218

Lister 1 Oct. 14, 1975 [54] TENIPORARY SUPPORT DEVICE FOR A 2,920,371 1/ 1960 Shoemaker 249/216 CEMENT EMBEDDED ANCHOR BOLT 3150429 9/1964 3,767,158 10/1973 Inventor: Glenn Lister, 2221 Fourth, 3,801,061 4 1974 H011 249/217 Waterloo, Iowa 50701 2 Filed; July 10 1974 Primary ExaminerFrancis S. Husar Assistant Examiner-lohn McQuade [21] Appl' 487,280 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Morton S. Adler Related US. Application Data [62] Division of Ser. No. 327,746, Jan. 29, 1973, Pat. No. [57] ABSTRACT A device to temporarily support an anchor bolt in wet 52 us. c1 249/207; 249/93 cemfam cement Pmwded 1 Int C12 E04G 17/00 partlcular adaptatlon for use in relatlon to handrail 58 Field of Search 249/14, 91, 93, 94, 205, boltsh g prfiiast g f A 249/207 210 52/699 269/55 notc e ar ts mounte to t e Step ormmg mo pornon of a sta1r step mold structure so as to be movable References Cited to and away from ustapos1t1on w1th a wet cement step surface and when in JUXtflpOSltlOl'l therewith, the an- UNITED STATES PATENTS chor bolts placed in the cement are embraced and 2,281,698 5/1942 Kogl 249/14 supported by the notch portions of the support while 2,331,701 10 1943 Kogl 249 14 the cement hardens 2,366,401 l/l945 Haskell 249/91 7 2,534,154 12/1950 Williams 52/699 2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Oct. 14, 1975 TEMPORARY SUPPORT DEVICE FOR A CEMENT EMBEDDED ANCHOR BOLT CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application is a division of my copending application on an Adjustable Step Mold With Product Release Means, Ser. No. 327,746, filed Jan. 29, 1973 now US. Pat. No. 3,836,109.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an improved support device for temporarily supporting an anchor bolt in wet cement while the cement hardens and has particular utility in the placing of handrail anchor bolts during the formation of precast cement stair step structures.

The art of precasting cement stair step units is well known and the use and desirability of suitable handrails for the same is, of course, obvious not only from the standpoint of safety but also for decorative and ornamental effects. Such rails are usually anchored to the step or platform surfaces by suitable bolts and such bolts are commonly anchored in placeby being set in drilled or chipped holes in the hardened cement which are then filled in around the bolts with a suitable hardening substance such as cement, tar, or the like. While such method of setting the anchor bolts is functionally satisfactory, it does entail additional time, labor and expense and the more or less patched area in the step surface around the bolts somewhat detracts from the overall appearance. Accordingly, with these observations in mind, it is one of the important objects of the present invention to provide a device for supporting an anchor bolt set in wet cement while the cement hardens and -which is easily removed after the bolt is set.

A further object herein is to provide an anchor bolt support of the above class in the form of a support bar or holding plate adapted for cooperative association with the mold structure used in precasting cement steps whereby the handrail anchor bolts can be placed at desired points in the formed step structure while the cement is wet and will thus be firmly anchored when the cement has hardened.

Another object is to provide an anchor bolt support as characterized which will adequately support the bolt during the hardening period for the cement without marring or defacing the surface in which the bolt is placed.

The foregoing objects and such further objects as may appear herein, or be hereinafter pointed, together with the advantages of this invention will be more fully discussed and developed in the more detailed description of the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the step portion of a mold for precasting cement steps and showing my handrail anchor bolt support devices attached thereto at opposite ends of the step and in bolt supporting position relative to the step surface,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of this invention as seen at the right end of the step in FIG. 1 and showing this anchor bolt support holder moved to an inoperable position,

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of this invention including a retaining cap and wing nut and showing the support holder in operable or supporting position relative to a pair of anchor bolts set in a poured step,

FIG. 4 is an exploded cross sectional view of this invention as generally seen in FIG. 3 and showing more clearly the embedded bolts and nut component, and

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 5 but showing the retaining cap in operating position. I

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawings, the anchor bolt holding device is designated generally by the numeral 10 and is adapted to be used with any suitable form or moldemployed for casting a cement structure in which the placement of anchor bolts for handrails or the like may be desired. It has particular utility in the mounting of anchor bolts for handrails on precast cement stair step structures as indicated above and in my copending application previously identified herein of which this application is a division. While my copending application discloses certain improvements in mold construction for cement stair steps, it is not intended that device 10 be limited to any particular mold arrangement and it will be understood that such portions of a step mold as will be described hereinafter are merely illustrative of the general environment in which device 10 is most advantageously used.

With reference to FIG. 1, there is shown a fragmentary portion of a stair step mold structure designated generally by the numeral 12 and which includes an inner core 14 and side members 16-16 forming an outer shell suitably spaced from the inner core 14 to define a casting cavity 18. Corresponding ends of the outer shell 16-16 are of a stepped configuration as at 20 to provide for the formation of the individual steps in a well known manner and in the mold 12 as shown, angle strips 22 are secured contiguous with the upper edges of the outer shells 1646 and the stepped portion 20. Riser members 24 are attached to members 16-16 by well known clamp devices 26 and, similarly, tread plates (not shown) will be used for forming the surface of a step 28. However, since the treads will have been removed in the use of device 10 as will appear and since they form no part of this invention, they are not illustrated. It will be understood that mold 12 thus far described is only illustrative of a type of form or mold structure with which device 10 can be used to advantage and further details of such a mold as to assembly, disassembly and removal from the casting which may vary with different structures are immaterial to the present invention and thus are not further described.

The following more detailed description of device 10 will, perhaps, be more clear if it is first pointed out that the use of such device is made after the pouring of a casting is completed and is being held in the mold for the cement to harden. Thus, after the mold 12 is filled and while the cement is still wet, a surface to receive an anchor bolt, here illustrated as step 28 in FIG. 1, is exposed by removal of the tread plate (not shown) to permit the step or tread surface of step 28 to be trowelled prior to the installation of the anchor bolt holders 10. Holder 10 is generally of flat bar material of a T-shape having the cross portion 30 and the depending portion 32. Portion 30 is pivotally attached at one end to any suitable place on mold 12 adjacent step 28 and is shown with one end so attached to strip 22 by a removable pin 34 whereby portion 32 can be moved into and out ofjuxtaposition with the wet cement as seen in FIG. 3. Portion 32 is provided with one or more U notches 36 and preferably with an upstanding threaded bolt shank 38. One form of anchor bolt arrangement is illustrated by one or more railing anchor bolts 40 with nuts 42 attached being placed the wet cement repre sented by step 28 as seen in FIGS. 4 and 5 and so located that the U-notch portions 36 on portion 32 embrace and support the bolts 40 just below the bolt heads 44.

A retaining cap or plate 46 is preferably placed over the bolt heads 44 so as to rest on portion 32 (FIG. 5) and is provided with a hole 48 through which shank 38 extends to receive the wing nut 50. By this arrangement, nuts 42 are held in proper position and accidental movement of portion 32 is prevented while the cement is hardening and while holder may be used without cap 46, its use as described is preferred as an additional safeguard. When the cement has hardened, the wing nut 50 and retaining plate 46 are removed so that the holder 10 can be pivoted out of association with bolts 40. Thereafter, such bolts 40 can be removed, when desired, and nuts 42 remain firmly anchored to receive bolts 40 at such time as a handrail (not shown) may be mounted to the step structure. While the foregoing description is directed more particularly to the mounting of anchor bolts on the step portion of the step structure, it is pointed out that holder 10 can be similarly employed in the mounting anchor bolts on the platform surface (not shown) which will be formed over the top of the inner core 14 as is well known.

In the anchor bolt arrangement disclosed where the nuts 42 remain fixed in the cement and the bolts 40 are removable, there is provided a most efficient and neat appearing attaching means for securing a desired handrail since only the bolt heads 44 will remain visible. However, it will be understood and appreciated that bolts 40 can be reversed so that the heads 44 and a portion of the bolt shank becomes set in the cement so as to leave a portion of the shank projecting upwardly to receive a nut 42 and while this arrangement from the standpoint of appearance is not preferred in mounting stair step handrails, it may be used to advantage, for example, to attach base or floor boards to cement floors and slabs. Accordingly, in view of the foregoing, it is thought a full understanding of the construction and operation of this invention will be had and the advantages of the same will be appreciated.

I claim:

1. A devicefor temporarily supporting an anchor bolt in wet cement while the.cement hardens within the confines of an appropriate form or mold, said device comprising:

an elongated anchor bolt support member,

means on said support member for pivotal attachment to a form or mold containing freshly poured cement which has an exposed surface,

said support member being movable on its pivotal attachment to and from juxtaposition with the exposed surface of the wet cement,

anchor bolt engaging means on said support member,

with an anchor bolt embedded in part in the wet cement, said support member being moved to bolt engaging position to hold said bolt immovable while the cement hardens,

an upstanding threaded shank on said support m'ember,

a retaining cap removably mounted on said shank so as to engage said support member and embrace the exposed portion of an anchor bolt when said support member is in bolt engaging position, and

removable fastening means on said shank to releasably secure said retaining cap to said support member.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 including said support member being an elongated notched bar whereby when said bar is moved into anchor bolt engaging position the anchor bolt is embraced and supported within the notch of said bar. 

1. A device for temporarily supporting an anchor bolt in wet cement while the cement hardens within the confines of an appropriate form or mold, said device comprising: an elongated anchor bolt support member, means on said support member for pivotal attachment to a form or mold containing freshly poured cement which has an exposed surface, said support member being movable on its pivotal attachment to and from juxtaposition with the exposed surface of the wet cement, anchor bolt engaging means on said support member, with an anchor bolt embedded in part in the wet cement, said support member being moved to bolt engaging position to hold said bolt immovable while the cement hardens, an upstanding threaded shank on said support member, a retaining cap removably mounted on said shank so as to engage said support member and embrace the exposed portion of an anchor bolt when said support member is in bolt engaging position, and removable fastening means on said shank to releasably secure said retaining cap to said support member.
 2. A device as defined in claim 1 including said support member being an elongated notched bar whereby when said bar is moved into anchor bolt engaging position the anchor bolt is embraced and supported within the notch of said bar. 